Mike Burke, chief operating officer for the district, said the state needed to raise the district’s millage rate or they might be forced to move to a referendum.

“We need to look under every rock,” said board member Debra Robinson. She said the district needed to be sure of the need before pushing for a public referendum.

On budget priorities, some school board members said they want more guidance counselors and a police officer at every elementary school.

“Those are the youngest most vulnerable children, those children don’t know how to run and hide,” said board member Frank Barbieri. “I don’t want to hear about these police aids, that’s a stop gap measure. I want an armed police officer that can have a fighting chance to stop some maniac that comes on campus.”

Others called for ways to reduce expenditures and focus primarily on safety issues.

Meanwhile, district officials said they had to wait and see if Gov. Rick Scott's $1.2 billion boost to education spending would be approved by the Legislature. Should his budget pass, that would mean a $93.1 million increase for the district.

Budget talks will continue over the next several months. Click here for the full presentation.